


Do I like him or is he just tall?

by jofngve



Category: Anne of Green Gables - L. M. Montgomery, Anne with an E (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Anne/Gilbert if you squint, Band Fic, F/M, Kinda
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-14
Updated: 2020-01-14
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:40:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22254298
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jofngve/pseuds/jofngve
Summary: "You brought us to listen to your boyfriend and his band play country-covers of rock songs?" Cole asks incredulously.Ruby blushes, "Guys, come one, I'm sure it won't be that bad."----------At least the bartenders in this pub are goodlooking. And play the accordion! What do you want more..
Relationships: Diana Barry/Jerry Baynard
Comments: 10
Kudos: 84





	Do I like him or is he just tall?

**Author's Note:**

> Guess who has been listening to a Finish country-cover band and got hit with this AU-idea? Recommended listening is anything from Steve 'n' Seagulls: their "Born To Be Wild" cover is mY jAM.
> 
> This was a plotbunny which got a bit out of hand, but I hope you like it anyway! 
> 
> [Translations of my bad french in the notes below!]

“God, Ruby, why did we come here again?” Cole sighs, and pushes his hands deeper into his coat pockets. His words make white fog stream out of his mouth in the cold, evening air, "To listen to your boyfriend's band play country-covers of rock songs? On a fucking banjo?"

Ruby blushes, “Guys, come on, please, you promised me to stay for at least one, two hours, you owe me as much after Anne’s last Gilbert disaster.”

The group of four friends is standing in front of the _Charles XII._ Despite the royal-esque name, it is a dive-bar by strict definition. It looks as if it has been created as an amalgam of all college-town dive-bars one could possible have ever visited. The layers of old posters on one side of the windows could be the topic of multiple archeological case-studies, with the flickering of the neon sign providing adequate mood lighting. If dingy magenta were what get’s you going. 

Anne tuts, “I wouldn’t call it a disaster per se.. more like a heated discussion.”

“Speaking of ‘heated’, can we _please_ move inside, it is _freezing_ ,” Diana says, through chattering teeth and the party moves inside. 

The inside does not surprise particularly, neither with its decor, nor with its quality of air. It smells faintly of cigarette smoke, warm beer, and a sort of sickly sweet, which could be attributed to a variety of things. It’s probably better not to play olfactory-detective.

“I am too gay for this,” Cole groans, and slides onto a bar-stool at one of the high tables, “I swear if the bathrooms have super fun heteronormative descriptions for men and women, I am **out**.”

Ruby pouts and slides onto the chair next to him, “Cole, come on. I’m sure it’s going to be nice. Look, we have a perfect view of the stage from here!”

‘Stage’ was a very kind word for the heightened arrangement of boards at the back of the room, but played an important role in the purpose of their visit. The purpose being Ruby’s new boyfriend, Markus ‘Moody’ Spurgeon.

“So, what music do they play again?” Diane smiles, and starts rummaging through her purse.

“Alternative and indie folk,” Ruby practically beams, “Or at least that’s what Moody’s called it. I think they mostly do folksy covers, you know because Moody plays the banjo.”

“Ahh!” Diana glances at Cole, who looks as if he has just died, “Cool, Ruby!”

Ruby blushes, and turns around to eye the stage, where a few mic stands and a set of drums has been set up. Diana uses her distraction to take a wet-wipe and quickly give the table a once-over. Not that she’ll find her nice sweater stuck to anything … unpleasant.

Anne slaps her hands on the table and makes them all jump, “Okey dokey, I’m going to grab drinks. I still have birthday money, so first rounds on me.”

Cole mock-bows as far as the table will let him, “My saviour. You know my drink.”

Ruby blushes, “Just a cider for me, Anne.”

Anne shoots them finger guns, “You got it!” 

Thankfully the place isn’t too crowded yet, so Anne and Diana make it to the bar with minimal physical play. An older man is drawing beer at the far side of the bar but a guy walks out of the door to the kitchen and grins as he sees them. 

“Well hello, ladies,” he dries his hands on the towel hanging from his shoulder, “what can I get you two?”

Anne looks at him disdainfully, frowning at the endearment, “Two pints of your lager on tap, a cider and a -“ she looks at Diana.

“G&T.”

“Gin and Tonic,” Anne finishes and pulls out her wallet, slapping Diana’s hand as she tries to pull out her own.

“ _Mais bien sûr, tout suite,_ ” the guy grins and winks at Diana.

Anne rolls her eyes. Curse her beautiful friend for turning all-matter of heads.

“I’m going to head to the bathroom super quick, use _my wallet_ ,” Anne pins her friend with a look and with a swish of red hair goes to check if Cole’s bathroom-theory would cause him to leave prematurely.

The guy begins to draw the beer with a practiced motion, “So, what brings a girl like you into a place like this?”

Diana raises a perfect eyebrow (she will not admit that she had practiced this endlessly in the mirror), “I think you’re going to have to define ‘girl like me’ for me to answer that question.”

The guy grins and grabs another glass, “You know. _La plus belle fille qu’j’ai jamais vue_.”

Diana grins, “ _Ah d’accord, je peux accepter cela comme définition._ ”

He stares and the beer he was drafting starts overflowing. He starts, swears, and pulls the glass out from under the stream, shaking his hands. There is a faint blush staining his cheeks. He grabs another glass and looks at Diana from under long lashes. Fuck, why is she looking at his eyelashes? She can barely see them anyway, he’s so tall, they should be too far up-

“Well that didn’t work as I was hoping it would,” he smiles sheepishly, and places both beers onto the beermat in front of Diana.

She grins and leans against on of the barstools, crossing her arms. This just got interesting. “Oh, do your bad pickup-lines usually have different outcomes?”

He laughs, and pushes a hand through his dark hair, scratching at the back of his head. Oh, that gives a nice view of his arms. The dark t-shirt he’s wearing strains around his bicep, damn, Diana focus-

“I guess not, but if it means I can keep talking to a pretty girl I’d say I’m not doing too bad for myself.”

Diana feels her face grow hot. What is taking Anne so long, leaving her alone here with this tall, dark, kinda cute dork, **fuck**.

“ _Ne te réjouis pas trop tôt_ ,” Diana says and turns to look for Anne.

The guy seems to have gotten the message and places the cider next to the lagers, and starts up on her G&T. He grins as he catches her eye.

Anne returns, lamenting about too-cold tap water, and moves to the till to pay. Grabbing the beers the redhead moves back to the tables, leaving Diana with her and Ruby’s drinks.

“Hope it wasn’t too bad, being left in my company,” the guy grimaces, and sticks a straw in the tall cocktail glass before Diana goes to grab it. He’s grinning but looks a bit unsure, biting his lip and tapping his fingers on the bar.

“I did not complain,” Diana smiles and takes the glasses, winks, and joins the others.

They settle into easy conversation. The worst of their mid-terms had been survived, and the time back at home over the holidays as well. Anne attempts to elucidate the exact nature of her ‘discussion’ with Gilbert Blythe. It was unclear exactly why Gilbert had chosen Modern Literature as an additional course to his Biochemistry major, but the discussions that arose from both Anne’s and Gilbert’s presence in the class greatly made-up for any missing background-information. Especially since the two had been meeting up to ‘study’ in Anne and Diana’s flat. Only when Diana had afternoon classes…

“So, it’s not at all my fault that his characterisation completely missed the mark, he should’ve let me read over it before handing it in!” Anne pouts, clinking glasses with Cole across from her.

Cole smirks and takes a sip of his beer, “Sure, Anne, it’s not as if you two had been suffering from lack-of-time together.”

Diana laughs and Anne opens her mouth to reply, her brow furrowed comically indignant.

“Guys, SHUSH, I think they’re starting,” 

The older guy who was manning the bar steps onto the stage, “Okaaaaay, everyone settle down!” He taps the microphone and the high pitched tone of the feedback fills the pub. He winces, “Ugh, sorry about that.” 

Leaning towards the mic he says, “I don’t think I need to say a lot about today’s band-“ there’s a loud WHOOP! from the back, a table of little old ladies. One of them waves.

The guy on stage grins, “Ladies, we’ve talked about this, no storming the stage!” 

The whole pub laughs. Ruby looks a bit puzzled, but Anne just shrugs, grinning when she looks at her.

“Without further ado, _Putain et Poutine_!”

Moody walks onto the stage first, banjo slung across his back, and Ruby cheers, clapping along to the very enthusiastic applause the band is welcomed with.

Anne squints, “Is that the bartender?”

Diana stares at the guy who jogs up the two steps onto the platform last, “Jup.”

The flirty-french guy, now equipped with an accordion leans down to say something to Moody, who laughs and grabs the mic.

“Hey everyone!” he grins, and waves down the applause, “super stoked to see you all here today, and I'm especially happy to see my dear lady in the back! Let’s give a very special welcome to my lovely girlfriend, Ruby!”

Ruby blushes scarlet, and shyly lifts a hand. Diana tries to look inconspicuous, but the accordion-guy doesn't look over, talking to the girl on drums. She hands him something, a hairband which he uses to push his fringe out of his face, and laughs. 

Moody grins, “If we had house-lights, I’d have them all on her in a second, but oh well.” He laughs and looks at the older guy now manning the bar, “Guess we all have to needle Tom for that upgrade.” 

Another bout of cheering and hollering, before the crowd quiets down and Moody starts strumming.

They. Are. Good.

It is very "country" but one doesn't notice as much after a while. There are only five people on stage even though they sound like half of an orchestra. Moody with his banjo, his friend Charlie on bass, the tall bartender with his accordion, an equally dark-haired guy with a violin, and the blonde girl on drums. Moody is incredible on the banjo, fingers lightening quick, not even paying that much attention on shifting key. His singing voice is not bad either, and with the harmonies of his bandmates the overall effect is very melodic. 

They all seem to know each other very well, turning to grin at each other at the chorus parts, hushing quick words in between the breaks to decide on the next song. They play mostly covers, start with Born To Be Wild, and move on with AC/DC, ZZ Top, Metallica, one song from Mumford and Sons, which Ruby claps wildly for.

They play a good 40 minutes before taking a break, promising to be back in 20 minutes. The chatter starts back up and the band sheds their instruments, walking off the stage, and making their way over to the friend-group’s table. 

“Moody!” Rubs calls even though he’s already making his way over to her.

“You were great,” she gushes grabs his hand, squeezing it tight. Noticing everyone else, she stutters, “You all were, really, really great!”

“Thanks,” the blonde girl smirks and nudges a dopy-looking Moody in the ribs, “Care to introduce us, Oh-Captain-my-Captain?”

Moody starts and stops making heart-eyes at his girlfriend, “Oh - sure, sorry guys.” He gestures at the girl and Charlie, “This is Jane, our talent on the drums, and you already know Charlie right?” Charlie nods. “And this is Max and his brother- hey where did he go?”

Max shrugs, “I think he wanted to ask Tom something, but-“

“I’m here, I’m here,” the guy who must be Jerry grins, and flicks Moody in the back of the head. “Leave it to me to handle the really important parts of the evening: Tom says our welcomed guests drink free as well tonight.”

Ruby’s eyes are wide, “Oh that’s really not necessary, we can totally-“

“Nonsense!” Jerry grins and offers Ruby his hand, “I wouldn’t question the man, he’s old enough to know what he’s doing. You must be Ruby.”

Ruby looks a bit dumbstruck but shakes the proffered hand.

“And -“ Jerry turns to the seat taken across from Ruby.

Diana smiles sheepishly.

“Diana,” she says, and shakes his hand as well. It’s dry, a bit calloused but smooth against her palm.

He grins at her, “Diana, _un nom jolie comme-“  
_

The blonde girl smacks him in the arm, “Jerry, I swear to God, stop bothering Ruby’s friends. Fuck’s sake.”

Diana smiles and waves it off, “Well, I’m Diana, and this is Anne and Cole.”

The group starts chattering, pairs and triplets breaking off into conversations about music, the weather, classes, work. 

Max raps on the table, stifling the conversations, “Guys, super quick, we should grab some drinks. What would everyone like?”

Drink-wishes are rattled down and changed last-minute after hearing what someone else is getting. Max grins and turns to his brother, “You heard them, _garçon_ let’s get the people what they want.”

Jerry deadpans, “ _J’t’aime aussi.”  
_

Max grins, “ _Shsh, tu peux emmener ta fille avec toi. Je suis sure qu’elle s’amuserai._ ”

Jerry blushes scarlet, “ _Oh, va te faire foutre!_ ”

His brother laughs loudly as Jerry walks to the bar.

“I’ll go with,” Diana says in passing and follows him. 

The boy grabs a tray and steps back behind the bar. Diana hops onto the barstool on the other side. Jerry looks at her, surprised. 

Diana shrugs, “Thought I’d keep you company.”

He grins, and it’s more sincere, almost shy in how content he looks. He takes out a diet coke from below the bar, grabs a glass and places both on the tray on the bar. They’re practiced movements, done with little-to-no thought, fluid and smooth, confident. It’s nice to watch him while he works, gives her more time to categorise. His hair is a big shaggy, not recently cut, coming down over his ears, tickling his nape, but the hairband somehow suits him, making his face appear longer, clear-cut with high cheekbones.

“I love the hairband by the way,” Diana smiles, just a hint of mirth crinkling her eyes. The bartender raises his hand to his forehead, as if he had forgotten it wasn’t hidden by his fringe anymore, and grimaces a bit, “I kept getting annoyed by my hair while playing. It’s too long as it is, really need a haircut.”

Diana smiles and cocks her head to the side, “It’s definitely fashion forward, but if it’s all for the music, I guess beauty must suffer.”

That is a loaded sentence but he is kind enough to leave it alone. “Well, then all my worries are quenched.” 

He turns to grab a glass from the racks above, barely needing to stretch at all. The warm light of the pub douses him in a sort of glow, a golden shimmer across smooth skin. He’s more handsome that she first gave him credit for, especially at second-, third-, fourth-glance.

He looks at her expectantly, already having started on her second G&T. Fuck, had he asked her something?

“P-Pardon?” she stutters, and folds her hands on the counter.

He laughs, and pours ice into a glass, “I asked whether you would like mint or basil with this.”

“Oh, uh, basil?”

He looks at her under unfairly-long eyelashes, “Is that an answer or a question?”

She rolls her eyes and laughs, “Ba-SIL. Better?”

“Your wish is my command,” he says, tongue-in-cheek and turns to start ripping leaves off a small plant behind him. 

“I don’t think my brother knows you speak french,” Jerry grimaces and pauses to pour gin and tonic water into a cocktail shaker. “Hope he wasn’t too rude.”

Diana laughs, “Oh nonsense. I know how siblings are.”

“Oh, do you have a brother?” he asks, pushing the two silver halves together and starting to mix the shaker over his shoulder.

She shakes her head, “A sister. A bit younger than me, boy-crazy, and oh-so-much-more wiser than me.”

Jerry grins, and strains the drink from the cocktail shakers into a glass, “So you’re not boy-crazy?”

Diana raises an eye-brow and hopes she’s not blushing, “I think you know the answer to that question. Do you have another sibling, other than Max?”

“Try five,” he groans, and sticks a straw into her drink, placing it in front of her. “We’re seven, four boys and three girls.” He laughs as he sees Diana’s shocked expression, “It’s not that bad! I always had back-up available for any fight. And enough people to play any board-game.” 

“Six brother and sisters,” Diana says, stunned. “I don’t think I have the right to ever complain about Minnie -May again.” 

Jerry laughs and grabs five pint glasses. He rinses them out with that weird-glass-shower thing they always have at bars. What are they called again? “I think I wouldn’t mind listening to you complain at all.”

Diana sips at her drink. This is getting annoying. “Why?”

He looks up, “Why what?”

Diana sighs and leans forward onto her elbows, “Why would you like to listen to me complain? Because I am so pretty that it doesn’t matter what I am blabbing-on about?”

Jerry looks stunned, “No of course not!” He pulls down the beer tap and starts drafting, “I just think you’re fun to talk to and really witty, and you have a nice voice.”

Oh. Diana feels a bit bad. A bit dumb. This wasn’t what she was expecting. She thought he’d probably laugh at her, make a dumb comment about her being dramatic and get back to the back-and-forth banter. But he’s being sincere. Guilt rises up and nips at the back of her throat.

He fills three pints before he speaks again, clearing his throat, “I’m sorry if I’ve made you uncomfortable.”

“No, I am sorry,” Diana says, so fast she almost interrupts him, “I just. I don’t want to sound conceited, but.” She pushes the hair from her face, “I just hear it too often to be true or even genuine.” She buries her head in her hands, “God, that sounds horrible. Forget everything I just said, I am being an ass.”

“No, you’re not,” Jerry smiles, and arranges the pint glasses on the tray along with a stack of napkins. He puts one under her drink. “Trust me, I know worse.”

Diana groans, “That is **not** comforting.” She peaks through her fingers, “Seriously, though, I’m sorry.”

“Shh, don’t mention it,” the dark-haired boy a glass with water and one with juice and puts them next to the pints.

This silence isn’t what she wanted either, “So, I have a pretty voice?”

Jerry laughs, surprised, and grabs the tray, “ _Incorrigible!_ I won’t ever say anything again.”

Diana is going to blame the next thing she says on the gin, “Well, your’s isn’t half-bad either. _J'aime t’écouter.”  
_

The boy across from her blinks, stupefied. Now that he has moved from behind the bar and standing next to her, Diana properly notices how tall he his, almost towering over her. The tray between them is like a wall, and oh how nice it would be to have it fall, to be able to bridge the gap. He starts grinning, eyes impossibly brown, wets his lips to say something-

“Oi, what the fuck is taking you so long, _Jerôme_!” Max shouts and gestures them over.

“ _Max_ , _je jure devant Dieu, je vais te cogner tout-_ “

Max makes his way over laughing, and just grabs the tray. He grins at Diana, “Carry on, my dear.” 

Diana has to laugh as well, and walks back to their table with her drink and napkin. The others had pulled up some chairs, and the whole table is abuzz with chatter, loud laughing, and wild hand movements (even though Anne clearly has the upper-hand in the later category, dramatically retelling something to Jane and Cole). It’s so nice to slide back onto the chair next to Anne, to have her best friend look over at her, squeeze her hand under the table, and then take it back to gesture on about how far her trek to the library was last week. And it’s nice to have Jerry silently ask to take the chair next to her, to nod at him, and then turn to ask Max if he has any embarrassing stories.

The break is over much too quick, and as the musicians move back to their instruments (to even more applause, their popularity is insane), Diana swirls her straw around in her Basil-Gin-ice concoction.

“What did you talk to Jerry so long for?” Anne asks quietly, eyebrow raised.

Diana looks up, a bit shy, “I don’t know, he’s kinda cute don’t you think?”

Cole grins before Anne can answer, “Oh, Diana, you do know Anne only has eye for one tall, dark, and handsome boy.” He looks down at her glass, “But you might be more lucky than her.”

Diana follows his gaze and raises her glass to look at the cocktail napkin under it. 

**+1 613-399-2064**

**If you need someone to complain to**

**\- Jerry**

Anne tuts, “Well, that’s kinda forward isn’t it?”

But Diana feels how she blushes, and moves to tap the number into her phone.

[Diana B] 21:02 - 

So, until when should I have my list of complain-worthy-topics prepared for? 

She sees how the boy on stage gropes in his pants pocket for his phone. He grins in the bright light and starts typing something out. Jane pokes him with one of her drumsticks but he waves her off.

**[Jerry (Accordion)] 21:03 -**

**I have endless time**

**Sunday 4pm?**

**At that library café?**

She moves to text back.

[Diana B] 21:03 - It’s a date 

Jerry only has time to read the message before Jane slaps him on the ass with her drumstick. He complains but pushes his phone into his pocket. But not without grinning wildly at a girl sitting at a table in the back. 

**Author's Note:**

> Fun facts for this fic:
> 
> 1\. I used to work in a bar and drafted SO MUCH beer: and there is a word in German for the rinse-glass-thing but who is surprised?  
> 2\. Jerry's telephone number is from an ice cream shop. Thank God for random googeling!
> 
> \-----------  
> Mais bien sûr, tout suite - Of course, right away  
> La plus belle fille qu’j’ai jamais vue - The prettiest girl I have ever seen.  
> Ah d’accord, je peux accepter cela comme définition - Ah, ok, I can accept that as a definition  
> Ne te réjouis pas trop tôt - Don't get excited just yet
> 
> un nom jolie comme.. - A name as pretty as..  
> J’t’aime aussi - I like you too.  
> Tu peux emmener ta fille avec toi. Je suis sure qu’elle s’amuserai - You can take your girl with you. I'm sure she'll have fun.  
> Va te faire foutre! - Kiss my ass
> 
> Max, je jure devant Dieu, je vais te cogner tout - Max, I swear to God, I'm going to slap you


End file.
